Defining "Deep State"

ZMan asserts that, really, there is no such thing as a "Deep State."  At the same time, "Deep State" is a convenient shorthand for inexplicable events and coincidences.

...For example, the berserk effort by Western government[s] to “decarbonize” the West looks like a suicide pact by a collection of cult leaders. How can these people really think it is good idea to shut down Dutch farming to save Gaia? How does returning Germany to using wood for heat make any sense? There must be something else.

Of course, we all know that there is no such thing as a deep state but it is not hard to see why people are open to it. It is sort of like the concept of space-time. That is, it is an invention of mankind to help explain the universe. The fact that it does not exist is not really important because it allows physics to explore the universe. At some point it will be abandoned for a deeper understanding. The same may be true of the deep state in that it works for now, even though it is not real....

He comes up with an alternative group of cultists.

 ....In the present age, the managerial class plays an outsized role in picking winners and losers, so there is money to be made exploiting their hopes and fears. This has always been the genius of Elon Musk. His projects all tap into the boutique beliefs of the managerial class. He is a futurist selling futuristic solutions to the problems of the future to people haunted by the prospect they will not see the glorious future. They are willing to spend your money to achieve their dreams.

Klaus Schwab is working the same grift. The World Economic Forum is a crackpot idea that appeals to the vanity of the managerial class. It did not get much traction until he was able to hook a few billionaires to attend his event. That was the validation needed to turn the thing into Burning Man for the managerial elite. They go to be seen with their analogs in the other parts of the managerial class. The deep state vibe is part of the appeal to people who spend their days in committees....

But he doesn't define "managerial class."  It's fair to guess that he means C-Suite types, not plant managers (who know better.)  How about the roster of CEOs from the Fortune 500 and its equivalents in Europe?   

Sure, but we also must include Managerial Class cultists in Government, for without them, few of the  Cult's programs would be executed.   Then we must ALSO include the "thought leaders" who start the fad-cults rolling.  They're usually found in Universities and are often funded by Fortune 500 members and Governments.  You will note that all these people are 'successful'--they have Positions, after all.  That makes them think that they are Smart People.

...the reality of the managerial state lies beyond the deep state. It is not a collection of super villains controlling the world. It is a system that produces the super villains it needs to control the population over which it rules....

It's not really "a system."  It is a theology.  ZMan hints at that reality with his use of the term 'cult,' which almost always denotes a religion--thus, theology is present.

The theology of the Deep State is Gnosticism.  Yes, that's a heresy, but like all heresies it is very comfortable with disrupting society and even killing people for The Cause of The Day because the Gnostics simply know best.  It is the heresy of choice for Smart People.

That's Deep State.  Those who Know Best, no matter how inane, murderous, or idiotic their knowledge really is.